The HOPE Dinners

About The HOPE Dinners

The HOPE Dinners welcomes people of all faith backgrounds and circumstances and no faith background to come together in a safe, nurturing place where both body and soul are fed. The dinners have resulted in a lively community that has proudly countered some of the despair and isolation that is so lethal to people affected by HIV and AIDS. We welcome a group of people that is often very striking in both its diversity and its unity of purpose: to find a spiritual path through one of the overwhelming epidemics of our time. We gather for several hours of food and fellowship on the third Sunday of every month at 3:00 p.m. Volunteers purchase food and prepare it in their homes. The food is served buffet style to maximize the interactions with guests, and all volunteers serving the food are seated at the tables with the guests for the meal. We determined very early on that this ministry is not about “us” and “them”. We encourage volunteers to cook dishes they enjoy preparing and eating. Our dinners have a reputation for fine food, and volunteers cook as they would if they were “having company”. Guests appreciate the non-institutional nature of the meal. We ask those planning on joining us for dinner to make a reservation either by phone or by signing a reservation list at the current dinner for the next month so that we can anticipate the amount of food to prepare. During COVID, we transitioned to a sharing circle and food bag distribution when we cannot meet for an outdoor meal in the garden. We are blessed by the generous support of Broadway Cares | Equity Fights AIDS and a team of very dedicated volunteers.

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